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For the winemakers of Chablis the 2024 vintage was about as difficult as they come. Spring frosts, months of rain, summer hailstorms, and relentless humidity in the vines all combined to produce one of the smallest crops in recent memory. But handled correctly, the vintage also produced thrilling wines shot with tension and vibrant energy – a return to classical Chablis.
If you know anything about Margaux, it’s probably about the iconic Chateau Margaux. But there’s lots to the appellation besides the famous First-Growth chateau. Margaux’s sandy, gravel-filled soils produce some of the Left Bank’s most elegant red wines; Jancis Robinson cites their “haunting perfume,” and “silky texture.”
The Domaine Pierre André is in its last few years of existence. Jaqueline passed away a few years ago, and her son and nephew have decided not to continue the domaine. We wish it would continue, but we understand: the work of a vigneron is tireless and never-ending, even when it’s your life’s calling – someone whose heart isn’t in it just couldn’t do it.
Weather dictates just about everything in the life of a vigneron. We often meet winemakers who can instantly recall rainfall levels and harvest dates from 30 years ago. The 2024 vintage is one many would soon rather forget – bad flowering, mildew, and endless rain dramatically reduced yields at most domaines.
No Ansonia winemaker has captured more readers’ attention in the last few years than Pierre Vessigaud. We get emails with comments like “the wines are so alive,” and “as good as Meursault but half the price.” We’re not surprised – we find ourselves reaching for Vessigaud’s wines more often every month.
Regular readers will know Gautier Desvignes, the humble, friendly, thirtysomething winemaker who has transformed his modest family domaine into a top name in the region. William Kelley writes that Desvignes is “one of the leading lights in the Côte Chalonnaise,” and we wholeheartedly agree.
Dupré-Goujon is quietly becoming a leading domaine in the Beaujolais. Winemakers Sebastien Dupré and Guillaume Goujon are crafting outstanding wines that elevate the potential of the gamay grape. We get emails from customers with comments like “had no idea Beaujolais could be that good,” and “best Gamay I’ve ever had, by a lot.” We agree, and often find ourselves reaching for these vibrant organic wines.
The Maconnais continues to be undefeated as a source of bang-for-buck white Burgundy. The wines here have never been better, while the secret is out about its value, the prices have yet to catch up. As evidence, we submit Sebastien Giroux, who farms a tiny 6-hectare estate essentially by himself. His disciplined, organic winemaking results in extraordinary wines – William Kelley describes them as “supple, pure and charming.”
There’s no more exciting corner of Burgundy today than the Beaujolais. Long looked down upon by winemakers further north, the wines made here today are as dynamic and delicious as anything in the Côte d’Or – and at a fraction of the price. Wine writer Stuart Piggott calls Beaujolais “the best value reds in the world,” and it’s easy to see why.
There’s not much wine grown in Normandy, the starkly beautiful region along the English Channel in northern France. But along with scallops, oysters, butter, and some magnificent cheeses, Normandy is renowned for its cider. Apples and pears have been grown, pressed and fermented here for more than a thousand years.
Burgundy is a comparatively small region in size of production, but it covers an enormous range of terroirs. From Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south, Burgundy stretches over 150 miles – from just a few unblended grape varietals, the Burgundians produce an extraordinary range of wine.
Organic viticulture is the future of winemaking — the majority of our winemakers are organic or in conversion. But at some domaines, it’s also the past. The Domaine du Joncuas in Gigondas turned 100 years old a few years ago, and they’ve practiced organic winemaking, as they put it, “depuis toujours” (“since forever”). Writer Jon Bonné cites them as a benchmark producer for the region, and labels them “essential defenders of grenache’s good name.”
We’re a two-generation business, so we have been particularly interested to watch the generations change at our French producers over the years. France pushes its seniors into retirement about five years earlier than does the US, but otherwise it’s much as it is here – smoother or bumpier depending on history and personalities. Michel Gros took the reins at his family’s famous domaine as a very young man after his father Jean suffered a stroke, so he had 45 years to acquire vines and refine his techniques.
“It’s going to be a quicker tasting than usual,” Romain Collet chuckled as he welcomed us into his tasting room this spring. As with most addresses in Burgundy, 2024 was not an easy one at the Domaine Collet. The weather gods were particularly tough on Chablis, and Romain lost two cuvées (Forêts and Butteaux) entirely, amid losses everywhere.
Everyone knows Sancerre, the popular, easy-to-pronounce, well-priced white Loire wine. But fewer people know its less famous neighbor across the river: Pouilly-Fumé. Same grape, similar soils, slightly harder to pronounce, but even better pricing. Our producer here is Frederic Michot, a friendly, energetic winemaker who crafts refreshing, user-friendly, flat out delicious Sauvignon Blanc.